


To Suffer a Sea Change

by freethedoncastertwo



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, drama student!Louis, lifeguard AU, lifeguard!Liam, this is a shameless fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 21:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freethedoncastertwo/pseuds/freethedoncastertwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam likes the surf. Louis likes attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Suffer a Sea Change

“Louis, he’s never going to want you.”

Louis forgets how Harry can be so blunt sometimes. It’s not so much Harry’s own nature as Niall’s and Zayn’s bad influence, he thinks. On that note Louis decides to forgive Harry for his tactlessness, and also for his clear inability to predict the future. Louis thinks it’s very possible that the shy, fit lifeguard wants him already. The lifeguard – whom Louis has yet to properly name – has been glancing at him sideways for the better part of an hour. So yes, he almost definitely wants him.

Louis just has to show him that it’s okay to go after want you want.

Louis peers up at Harry from where he’s lying spread-eagled on his beach towel. He glares at the boy, and adjusts himself into a more sexual position. He lifts his sunglasses up to stare at Harry with more conviction, and states, “Why, I’m sure I’ve no idea what you mean.”

Harry snorts. Louis runs his fingers through his hair. “Are you going to the kiosk?”

“No.”

“Get me some zinc there? Buy the turquoise, it brings out my eyes.”

“You’re worse than Zayn.”

Louis tucks some money under the band of Harry’s board shorts. “And get yourself something nice, yeah? You’re a good kid.”

“Seriously, it’s like you two have your own little universe where you, like, feed off each other. It’s a bit disturbing, to be honest.”

“Trust me, Styles. You’re gonna go far in this world; handsome lad like you.”

Harry rolls his eyes. “Alright, alright, I’ll get the damn zinc.” He laughs and gets to his feet. “And I’ll grab some ice to bring down that swelling in your head,” he adds, but he’s already walking away.

Louis smiles. He doesn’t know why Harry bothers putting it off, sometimes. They both know that Louis always gets his way.

-

When Harry gets back from the kiosk, Louis is waving a sunscreen bottle and pointing to his already lathered back. “Harry, can you –”

“Don’t even think about it.”

-

Louis sulks without speaking for half an hour. Harry doesn’t usually refuse him, but he’s getting more assertive in his old age. Louis is going to have to work on that.

Harry smiles at him the whole time, though, and no one can withstand those dimples for that long. Louis isn’t weak, he’s sensitive. It’s a positive trait.

So Louis rolls onto his back and pats Harry on the head, and Harry knows he’s forgiven. He stands up, shakes sand everywhere, and nods his head towards the waves where Niall and Zayn are splashing about. “You coming?”

Normally Louis would join them. But the lifeguard stopped to admire a sandcastle several metres away from their spot a few minutes ago, and Louis thinks he’s making real progress. So he declines. Harry shrugs and gallops off into the surf.

Louis watches his friends frolic in the water for a while before he sees his real chance.

The lifeguard – curly-haired, really fucking fit, a perfect breeding specimen – is kneeling down to pick up an empty beer bottle that _wasn’t_ left in the sand by Louis. Littering is a serious offence – as is drinking on the beach, maybe – and Louis isn’t stupid.

Louis stands up and stretches. He shakes his bottom, ostensibly to rid it of sand. He yawns loudly, and he knows he’s caught the lifeguard’s attention when the fellow smiles at him. Louis grins in return. “Sand. Fucking everywhere. Who needs it, right, mate?”

The lifeguard pouts. (Louis was going for funny, but maybe he missed the mark.) “Sand is important for the ecosystem,” he protests, seemingly puzzled by Louis’ complaint.

Louis is kind of tempted to say _‘who the fuck cares?’_ But he’s _sensitive_ , so he won’t. Instead what he says is “I could be important for your ecosystem,” and okay, maybe he’s not doing so well with this.

The lifeguard just peers at him. “Sorry?”

“I mean. I like ecosystems. I’m a human rights activist, actually.” It’s a nice save, maybe. Louis decides not to think about it for too long, either way.

The lifeguard smiles at that. He’s still squinting a bit. Maybe the sun is in his eyes. (Or maybe it’s just Louis’ own bright complexion. That’s possible too.) “Really? That’s nice.”

Louis beams. “Yes. I’m very progressive and all that. I’m Louis.”

The lifeguard offers a hand. Ah, yes. _Progress_. “I’m Liam.”

Louis shakes it. “Nice to meet you, Liam. Great weather today. I think I might go to the beach later on.”

Liam just blinks at Louis and frowns a little.

Louis chuckles awkwardly, because _someone_ has to laugh at him, alright? “So. What do you do with yourself then, Liam?” Louis says to fill in the silence, and sends a prayer for Harry to come rescue him. Or Zayn, or Niall, or anyone _please_.

Liam looks around subtly, as if making sure there are witnesses. Louis isn’t a _murderer_ for goodness’ sake. The only thing he’s slaughtering right now is his own pride. “I’m a lifeguard,” he states as if it’s obvious, which it is.

Louis claps his hands approvingly. “Yes you are! Great career choice, that. I work in the culinary arts, myself.” (He took a cooking class once.) “Now, you’d better get back to saving people! Off you go!” Louis claps Liam on the back and tries to recover from the fact that he just ordered Liam around on his own beach, but he doesn’t succeed at either. Instead, his hand flops a bit on Liam’s shoulder. Liam stares at it. Louis whips it away and laughs. “Goodbye!”

He grabs his towel and belongings and runs. He runs until he gets to the men’s bathroom and then he locks himself in a cubicle and texts Zayn, because Zayn is the least judgemental, maybe.

Zayn picks him up half an hour later and laughs all the way home.

-

That was Sunday. On Monday, no less than three patrons of the restaurant Louis waits tables at refer to him as ‘the little one’. On Tuesday Louis only likes Niall, so when they get off work and Niall suggests they go to the beach and muck around, Louis agrees. It sounds slightly less miserable than enduring the teases and awful company of other people, and that’s good enough for Louis.

It’s a sunny day, and there are significantly fewer people at the beach than there were on Sunday which means there’s all the more sun for Louis. He runs around for a little while, doing cartwheels and flopping and just generally laughing because the sun is his, all _his_. And Niall’s. Niall can have some too, poor pale little thing.

Niall is cackling at Louis so hard that he accidentally gets a bit of sand in his mouth. When he’s coughed it all out, he looks back to Louis and his eyebrows rise. He points emphatically. He then flurries his hands wildly when Louis turns to look, effectively stopping him.

Louis shrugs, giving him a questioning look.

“Behind you,” Niall mouths.

Louis turns around and almost falls over in shock. Liam is back, climbing up onto his lifeguard chair. Which isn’t actually shocking, considering the fact that he works here. What is shocking is the tight little Speedo number he’s clad in. The bright blue Speedos fit around his toned bum perfectly, and Louis might faint.

Louis doesn’t faint, though, because he’s stoic. Instead he turns back to Niall and does a little flourish, mouthing, “Watch this.” He turns and walks blithely to the water’s edge, pretending not to notice Liam at all. He steps into the water – only dancing a little bit, because it’s _cold_ , fucking fuck – and swims out into the waves.

Niall is clapping and grinning, waiting for a show. He seems to have caught on to Louis’ plan. Louis is a genius, really. He’s going to wow Liam with his _swimming abilities_. Louis is a fish in the water. Or a mermaid, or something like that. He doesn’t know why he didn’t think of this before.

When he’s out far enough, Louis turns and begins a leisurely freestyle. When he glances at Liam and sees that he isn’t looking, he switches to butterfly stroke. Much more attention-grabbing. Liam’s gaze wanders idly over in Louis’ direction, but Louis is hardly watching him now. He’s in his element, absorbed in the act of swimming. He does a few somersaults and ducks beneath the waves, enjoying the feel of the cool water in his skin.

A mass of seaweed bumps into Louis. He takes it as a personal challenge and stares down the thing, readying himself to pounce. Grinning, he leaps on it and begins a mad wrestle. He tumbles about, rolling in the waves as the seaweed tangles around his legs. Louis ducks under the water to untangle them. When he is free of its grasp, he resurfaces with a triumphant war cry.

He looks over to Liam and sees that his brave battle must have caught the lifeguard’s attention, for Liam is standing up and waving to him. Then he sees Niall, who is also gesturing manically. They’re both yelling out to him. Louis can’t hear them above the crashing of the surf. Confused, Louis turns to see what they might be on about. His heart shudders when he sees the cause of their unrest.

Approaching Louis is the single biggest wave he’s ever seen.

He gasps, but only has a split second to register the situation before the wave hits him. It crashes into him face-first, a wall of cold water that crumples over his head and forces him under. Louis curls up instinctively, trying to protect himself as he’s thrown about. He chokes and splutters, inhaling more water than seems possible. He throws his arms and legs out, searching for _something_ , but pressed under thrashing water he has no idea which way is up and which is down. His heart hammers frightfully in his chest. He’s lost in a world with no surface, and he can’t find any air.

Something grabs his hair and wrenches him violently. Louis’ panic, if possible, increases. He struggles weakly, but he’s on the verge of blacking out. His actions are useless against its strong grip. Strong arms close around Louis. He vaguely realises that it’s _a person_ before he loses consciousness completely.

-

Something warm and wet is on Louis’ lips. Also, he’s very uncomfortable. Also, something is holding him up and he registers that it’s actually _sand_.

And then Louis is coughing. He’s coughing and ugh, get off him, and oh sweet mercy he can _breathe_ again. He gulps in air before it’s lost in another hacking cough, and another. Louis might be coughing his entire insides out, judging by how much it hurts. Louis rolls over and coughs into the sand. Only when the fit has subsided does he open his eyes.

Louis looks around dazedly. A gentle brown-eyed creature is gazing down at him. Louis studies it for a few seconds before he realises _person_. He closes his eyes thankfully. The brief moment of rest is interrupted when a loud warm body slams into his skin.

“Louis!” it cries, and oh, _Niall_. “Holy fuck, Louis, you scared the crap out of us! Bloomin' idiot! Thank fuck you’re okay, that was a close one, _Louis!_ ”

Louis grimaces and cracks his eyes open again, returning Niall’s hug. He pushes himself into a sitting position and hugs him back with more life, feeling bad for worrying the boy. “Sorry, sorry,” he rasps into Niall’s hair. “Sorry, I’m sorry for scaring you, I’m okay.”

Niall pulls back and rubs his eyes, frowning at Louis skeptically. “Ya sure? No permanent damage?” he questions, inspecting Louis all over.

“Only to my pride,” Louis assures him with a sheepish smile.

Niall laughs. “Well that could use a few knocks, that.” He scrambles back to give Louis some space and looks at the other person present. Louis focuses on this person properly and his heart skitters.

“Liam,” Louis says breathlessly. His voice sounds strangled even to his own ears. He supposes he could pass it off as being due to his near drowning, but it’s still not the impression he’d like to give.

Liam smiles kindly. “You had us worried for a moment there,” he says. “How are you feeling now?”

“Alright,” Louis answers. He wonders if he’s going to cry. Forcing himself to meet Liam’s gaze, he gives a small smile. “Thank you. For – saving me.”

Niall makes a small gagging sound, and Louis shoots him a glare. He looks back to Liam, who is nodding. Liam claps him on the arm. “No worries at all, mate, it’s my job! Now, you should probably go home and take it easy for the rest of the day, yeah?” He stands up with Niall and offers Louis a hand.

Louis takes it, standing up gingerly. He tests out his body parts, which feel sore, but not too damaged. “Yeah,” he says quietly. Niall swings an arm around Louis’ shoulders and bids Liam a cheery goodbye as they leave.

Niall buys Louis a bag of salt and vinegar chips on the drive home. He eats half of the chips and cries on the rest of them. When they pause at a red light, Louis peeks his face out of the bag.

“I’m an idiot,” he mumbles dolefully.

Niall looks caught between sympathetic and amused. “You’re not an idiot,” he protests, and Louis shakes his head.

“I am. It’s a _tragedy_. I can never go back there again.” When Niall dutifully asks why, Louis burrows further into the bag and squeaks out, “He’s never going to like me. I’m a _nuisance_ to his _job_.”

Niall tuts in disagreement, but he lets Louis mourn. When they get back to their block of apartments, he steals Louis’ chips and doesn’t even mind when Louis cries on him instead.

-

On Wednesday Louis stays at home.

-

On Thursday morning Louis gets over his near-death experience and goes to work. Harry’s there early, taking pictures for his photography class. Louis doesn’t see what could be so interesting in the little café-restaurant that Harry might want to photograph it, but he pulls a stool up to the counter and rests his head in his arms.

Harry makes him tea, and Louis accepts it with a snuffle. “Ta. You don’t work here.”

Harry smiles and takes a gulp from his own cup. “Louis! I’m glad to see you. Niall told us you got roughed up in the surf on Tuesday. He was a bit vague on whether you were actually alive or not.” Harry takes a cookie from the jar on the counter and bites into it, chewing so quickly and smiling so widely that Louis wonders how his face doesn’t break.

Louis hums. “I’m a bit vague on that, too.”

Harry chuckles and pats his head. “Silly Louis. Here, be friends with my camera.” He places his camera down beside Louis’ head. The camera stares at him rudely. Louis grumbles and turns the other way. A customer comes into the shop and orders a latte, which Harry prepares with an easy smile. “Coming right up.”

Harry hands the latte over, made to perfection. The woman gives him a generous tip before she leaves.

Louis pokes Harry’s side. “Psst. You don’t work here.” Honestly, the boss might as well just start paying Harry. He probably does more work than any of the actual employees.

Harry shrugs. “I’ve a kind heart.” That’s true. He also consumes his weight in cookies, Louis observes as Harry plucks another one from the jar. Cookies are like payment. Sort of.

Harry tickles his hair. “So.”

Louis squeezes his eyes shut, recognising that tone of voice. “So.”

“So, about Tuesday.” Louis looks up, and Harry is grinning down at him. “I heard a certain hot lifeguard pulled you out of the waves?”

Louis groans. “Let’s not speak of it. It was the embarrassing summit of my embarrassing life.”

Harry flaps his hands. “Well _yeah_ , but. It was sort of romantic, wasn’t it? I mean, Niall said he _kissed_ you.”

Louis is beginning to wonder what kind of a storyteller Niall is. “He gave me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It’s not the same.”

Harry shrugs. He taps Louis’ nose, making Louis squint. “Details, details. My point is, you have to go back.”

Louis wants to crawl into a hole somewhere. He grabs a container of tealeaves and moves sluggishly along, scanning the shop for an appropriate hiding place. “I can’t go back.”

Harry’s eyes widen. “Why? He’ll be worried about you now. He’s _emotionally invested_. You have to take advantage of that while you can.”

Louis scrunches his face up. Harry doesn’t get it. “He’s not emotionally invested, that’s the point!” he snaps. “He’s a _lifeguard_ , Haz. He was just doing his job.” It hurts to say, but it’s the truth.

Harry sighs. “Aww, Lou.”

Louis is still drowning, just not in the waves.

-

That afternoon Louis goes to class, because he’s a drama major and he does such respectable things. It rains abysmally. He gets into a conversation with a guy who collects Stuart Little memorabilia before deciding that’s disturbing, and chats to some other people in his class. They’re going down to the beach to film a project tomorrow. A girl turns to Louis. “You should come along.”

“Uh.” Louis doesn’t know what to say, other than that. Maybe he’s becoming shy. Yes, that’s it. Louis is the bashful sort. It’s another aspect of his artistic sensitivity.

Her friends are nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah, yeah! Come on, Louis, we could use an extra hand.”

Technically Louis would be providing _two_ extra hands, but he doesn’t say that. Instead he nods weakly. “Yeah. Alright.”

He wonders if there is a Stuart Little convention in town anytime soon. He wonders if it would be less disturbing than this.

-

The drama students knock on Louis’ door at seven a.m. the next morning. Zayn opens the door, takes one look at them and shouts, “Louis!”

Louis stumbles out of bed and into the living room to see what Zayn wants. He catches sight of them and freezes. He turns slowly, counts to three, and runs back into his room.

“Louis!” Zayn calls, chasing after him. He catches Louis around the waist before the boy can make it back into bed. Louis struggles and kicks, reaching out to grab his quilt. “Fucking – damn it,” Zayn grunts. “There are obnoxious – people at my door – ow! – and they’re not leaving – without you – which means – ugh, you’re _going_.” He manages to thrust Louis into the corridor. Louis bangs his elbow and shoots Zayn a murderous look.

“ _Never_ ,” he hisses. He studies Zayn calculatingly for a moment, and then dives under his legs.

“What the fuck?” Zayn exclaims as he’s tipped over, because Louis isn’t quite as small as he thinks he is. Zayn wraps an arm around Louis’ face. “Why don’t you want to go?”

Louis lets himself go lax. “Liam,” he sighs, rolling in a heap onto the floor. “They’re going to the beach. Liam’s beach. _Liam_.”

Zayn rolls his eyes. “Babe,” he says, conveying both exasperation and affection in that single word. “Why don’t you want to go and see Liam?”

“I’m embarrassed!” Louis wails, burying his face in his hands. “And he doesn’t like me. There’s no hope. All is lost. I’m ridiculous.”

Zayn snickers. “You are ridiculous, but not for the reasons you think. Just go. I can guarantee that it won’t be as bad as you’re making it out to be.”

Louis peers at him skeptically. “How can you guarantee that?”

Zayn flicks his nose. “Because you’re Louis. You’ll work it out. Now _go_ , before those people come _inside_ , or something.” He shudders at the thought.

Feeling slightly touched – and also feeling that his nose doesn’t deserve the abuse it receives – Louis gets dressed. He gives Zayn a grateful hug and goes despite his trepidation, leaving Zayn with a blissfully quiet apartment.

-

The beach is warm and thankfully not too crowded. Louis finds a quiet spot and settles down to watch his classmates work. He’s wearing dark glasses and someone’s bright pink shawl on his head, and carefully not glancing at one very handsome lifeguard.

His disguise doesn’t work for very long. He hears Liam calling out “Louis!” and walking over to him, a sunny smile on his face. He walks slowly, leisurely, and Louis simultaneously wishes he’d walk faster and slower. Faster to get it over with, and slower to delay the inevitable.

When Liam is finally standing over him, Louis glances up. He holds the shawl carefully. “Oh, hello.”

Liam beams. “Louis! Hi.”

Louis shakes his head. “No, no. My name is Charles.”

Liam’s eyes crinkle up so much that they almost get swallowed by his face. “Louis? How are you –”

“No. _No_. No, no, I am Charles, you see? Louis is over there. Here, there and everywhere. Except here. I am Louis, and you are Charles, and Liam is hot and _fuck_.” Louis clamps a hand over his mouth. He hadn’t meant to say that.

Liam’s laughing. He sits down beside Louis. “You’re funny.”

Louis feels very slightly mollified by that. “I – um. Hi.” His face feels very red, but it might be from the sun. He touches a hand to his cheek.

Liam’s eyes follow the movement. “Oh. Here. I have some sunscreen, you should put it on.” He pulls out a small tube of sunscreen – where did he even _get_ that from, really – and holds it out. Louis obediently unfurls his hand, and Liam squirts some into it.

Louis really should not be having sexual thoughts about _that_. But he’s already accepted his impending doom, so he supposes it doesn't matter. “Thanks,” he says, beginning to apply it to his forehead.

“No problem,” Liam says earnestly. He’s watching Louis with a strange look on his face. His hand twitches nervously. “Listen, Louis, I – um. I wanted to apologise.”

Louis raises his eyebrows, forgetting the sunscreen. “Apologise? For what?” If anything, Louis thinks that _he_ should apologise, having distracted Liam from monitoring the beach with his antics.

Liam nods. “Yeah. I felt terrible after you left on Tuesday. I’m glad you’re okay. I meant to tell you that then, but I think I just forgot it amidst all the...”

“Saving lives?” Louis prompts. “Being my hero?”

Liam shrugs humbly. “Something like that. But I really am glad, and I’m sorry I forgot to tell you so. I didn’t want you to go home thinking that I didn’t care about you, or something.”

Oh. Louis feels a small smile spread across his face. “Thank you. And there’s no need to apologise. But I’m glad that you’re glad.”

Liam smiles in return. He rubs his hair sheepishly. “The truth is, I’ve sort of been making a mess of things ever since I met you.”

Well, _that’s_ unexpected. Louis frowns in confusion. “How so?”

Liam bites his lip. “I was just so awkward that first day we spoke. I don’t know, I’m shy around new people. I was embarrassed afterwards – thought you would think I was weird or something.”

Louis is shaking his head. He’s an idiot. “Liam, I don’t –”

“And then – sorry – and then Tuesday happened, and you looked so upset when you left, and I knew I’d messed it up even more. And then on Wednesday Niall came by and said that you were fine, and that he just wanted to let me know in case you never dragged yourself out of bed again.”

Louis rolls his eyes with all the melodrama that he can muster. “ _Liam_ –”

“And then – sorry, I just need to say this – and then when I saw you this morning I was so happy, because I’d kind of been thinking that you wouldn’t want to see me anymore.”

Louis heaves a gigantic sigh. “Liam, shut _up_.” Without further ado, he grabs Liam’s stupid face and collides it with his own. It takes him a second to find the lips there, but when he does, he kisses them passionately. Liam lets out a surprised gasp, tangled up in a delighted exclamation of _Louis_.

Louis wastes no time in crawling onto Liam’s lap and turning the deep kiss into many fevered ones. “You saved my dumb _life_ you dumb guy – how much better an impression d’ya want to _make_ – I messed up too – wanna make a mess all over you,” Louis breathes between kisses, elated to find that Liam is kissing him back.

Louis’ drama friends leave – not before they get some footage of Louis and Liam, though – and then it’s just the sun, the surf and them. Louis eventually pulls back, out of breath in a good way this time. He grins. “So. I know this is sudden, but I’m a little bit obsessed with you.”

Liam laughs and reaches up to ruffle sand out of Louis’ hair. “I could say the same to you, it seems.”

Louis nips his shoulder. “So say it.”

“I’m obsessed with you.”

Louis butts his head into Liam’s chin. “Say it again.”

Liam curls his hands around Louis’ waist. “I’m obsessed with you.”

Louis slings his arms about Liam’s neck. “Say it again.”

Liam hikes Louis’ leg above his hip. “I’m obsessed with you.”

Louis giggles. “Say it –”

Liam surges forward and catches Louis’ lips in his own. Louis dissolves into giggles against him. “Sorry for interrupting,” Liam murmurs. “I just really want to kiss you.”

Louis licks his face. “That’s fine,” he says, and it really, really is.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)  
> Most of the title is taken from Shakespeare's _The Tempest_.  
>  You can read this and more of my works at seeingviolet.tumblr.com.


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